July 11, 2010

Thoughts about an outdoor ride buddy dog.

I can't do it right now as I have two senior inside dogs to take care of...but eventually I would like to have a dog that can go the distance, accompany me on trail rides so my solo rides don't seem so---well--- solo. The one time that I had a neighbor's dog with me I really enjoyed (Phebes wasn't amused *LOL*) my ride and the antics of the dog. I also felt it was a good thing for her to learn that YOU DON'T RUN FROM THE DOG. The dog popping in and out of the brush, leaping into the creek, and just being a buddy was darned awful nice. But alas, he wasn't my dog! My boxer dog is up there in years, I think he will be ten this year which is old for a dog whose life span is normally eight to ten years. He'd love to go, but it would just be to hard on him at this age.

My thoughts on breeds would be to acquire an australian cattle dog (my friend Barb had one that used to go with us on long rides awesome breed), australian shepherd, or a lab mix, or maybe a short haired mutt. I wonder though how you get a dog that you know if you take him into the woods, that he won't jump a deer...never to be seen or heard from again? Especially if you travel and ride in various parks. How do you train the dog to stick with the horse and rider? Are some breeds better at that than others? ~E.G.

10 comments:

My dog accompanies me on some of my rides. I don't let him go with me when I plan to ride on the highway or any road though. He doesn't chase cars but doesn't seem to notice them either and about got hit one time. He does pretty good following me on our woods trails here at home. Even with deer and turkey's popping up. He will start after them but all I have to do is holler for him and he comes right back. Although this thursday I took him with me and it started to rain. Next thing I knew he wasn't there any more. I looked when I got home and he was in his dog house. I even got my other horse out, while it was still raining, and he didn't come with me. I didn't yell for him to come with me or he might of. But apparently he's a fair weather dog as well. He's a lab/german shephered mix that will be one year old this month.

I'd say just don't get a beagle (they would be gone with the game) or a real small dog that can't keep up. I had a sheltie as a teen. And if he came out with me I'd have to carry him back on the saddle or sometimes drive out looking for him and bring him back in the car. He was too small.

Looked at a POA this morning and think we are going to get her the kids. Next week when we come back from vacation. She's going to hold her for us. I hope she works out! I've been looking for over a year.

I used to ride with my dog, an Australian Blue Heeler/Jack Russell cross, until he recently became too old to keep up. He used to do 20km trot/canters with us, now he can only hold on for about 7km at a walk and a bit of trot. Plus, he's losing his hearing which makes it harder to control him, and he fails to notice vehicles coming up behind him, so I have deemed it too dangerous to ride with him now.

To effectively ride with your dog you should have all the basic obedience rules installed using vocal and/or hand signals: sit, stay and come (especially) at the minimum.

We practised everything on the lead and then off the lead, and built in a few extra vocal commands:- "not too far" which we used to let him know he could wander, but we wanted to be able to see him. We'd use this in new areas or around lots of other people, traffic or wildlife, so he never got so far a 'come' command wouldn't reach him.- "get here" which meant he had to be right beside us (heel would have probably worked just as well, but that's not what we naturally used)- "this side" with a finger point to put him in a safer travelling position(usually away from traffic, or to get the horse between him and a territorial dog, for example)- And the last trick (which we never FULLY mastered but did help a lot when it did work) was for him to SIT and STAY when at a distance from you. So for example, he's on one side of the road and you're on the other and a car is coming... the last thing you want is for your dog to cross the road in front of the car.

And of course, just having a traffic savvy dog who is delighted to get out for long runs will make it a natural combination!

My old sheltie used to go with me and the horse, but my new shelties are too scared (Mimsy) and too fat (Luna) to stay with us. Also, my horse hates dogs, so it's not something I seek out right now.

If I were hunting for a "riding dog" right now, I'd look at rat terriors (NOT Jack Russells) and lab-cross mutts. Something with a short coat, lots of energy, and a willingness to obey.

I don't recommend aussies because I see them get obsessed too easily with herding the deer, or most hounds (beagles, ridgebacks, anything that "bays" instead of barking) because in general they don't give a rat's patoot about obedience. They *can* do what you ask, but if you are on a horse and 100 yards away, they may *choose* to do something else! If I could find a standard poodle (the big size), I'd take that in a heartbeat.

I was visited last month by the neighbor's Rottweiler/Lab cross puppies and if my animal census had been lower I'd have been inclined to ask for one of these. The wanted to be "with" the person, and seemed to have a high level of intelligence. There were three of the puppies and I found it interesting observing them how different each one was. Two of the females were marked like a Rottweiler, but not as stocky. One female was very obviously dominent. You could see it in her bold eye and also in her behavior whipping the other two into shape. I'd have passed on her because of that. The second female was very people oriented, she left the pack to be with a person. She would likely have been the best choice of the three. Of course the pup I liked was the "oddball". He was bigger, and he was yellow like a lab, but made like a Rottweiler (only with a long nose). He was also the most shy of the dogs, but he just looked so ridiculously cute I'd have have probably chosen not so wisely in hindsight. Good thing my dog census is currently high :)

But I learned something after thinking on it that maybe the cutest or runtiest dog is not the best choice. Better to watch the dog behavior, and find an animal that wants be with you.

Rat Terriers are among my top dogs! I've had to Ratty crosses, one is an elderly female living with us now. They are great little dogs if they are socialized with gentle children. My first Ratty cross had some bad experiences before I got him and his hair would stand on end when he saw anyone under 4 feet tall...He was very high energy and a lot of fun, but was stricken with cancer at eight years old.

My favorite of all dogs is the Boxer, but the breed is so riddled with serious health problems that I don't think I want to own another. We've had three. The first one had Lymphoma, the second had hip dysplasia, and third is still with us. None of the three were ever really good on the recall if they set their minds to chasing or wandering (we kept them fenced or on leash).

Sometimes a good old mutt makes for an awesome dog. I'd probably search my next one from a kill shelter (we have three kill shelters in the area, so sad).

I just recently experimented with taking a dog along with me. Previously I'd tried to take our labs but they tired out and I ended up waiting for them at the trailer, praying they would eventually get back.I now have a poodle, he is just about three years old and he was awesome! I took him with me up to some logging roads, so there was little chance of running into other people, dogs or cars.He trotted and loped right along with my mare, sometimes a little a head or behind. Surprisingly, when I did have to go thru the gates he would "heel" with me giving the command from the horse, I was so thrilled to have an obedient trail dog finally!We went about 12 miles and he wasn't even thinking about getting tired. Karen W.

I take my lab on any ride under 10 miles until it gets too hot. At this time of year, she can't go for more than 30 minutes - much to her chagrin.

I've spent her whole life reinforcing the idea that being with me is the most fun thing ever. She goes after deer and rabbits, but never more than 50 yards before she breaks off and comes back to me. She only knows a few trail-specific commands: "to me" to heel for road crossings, whistle and point to put her on one side of another of the trail, a different whistle to tell her to change direction, and "let's go" to let her range ahead.

Pure labs are not ideal trail dogs, but I adore them. They've got heart! And the retriever instinct gives them an easier recall, IMO.

I trail ride & camp in the Utah wilderness with my Australian shepherds. I find aussies to have an inate sense of getting along with horses, respond well to vocal commands, and want to stay close by at camp and along the trail.

My current trail dog is a GSD from Czech working lines.. she has gotten condtioned along side my horses and goes out as many times as I do per day for as long as I go out.. flopping down in mud holes and creeks to cool off and up and running again when we are. Listens very well to "leave it", "here", and "out of the street". If she sees the trailer being hooked up she's by the truck door and sulks horribly when we go to a park with leash laws and can't go along. That said.. I did have an exceptional Borzoi who loved me dearly and would not have dreamt of leaving my side and he used to trail ride with me all over north GA.. he did get overheated in the summers though..

I see all breeds on the trail. But,here in Pima County,the leash law is being enforced. One of my neighbors received a citation for a loose dog on the trail. Another neighbor is headed to court over a "dog at large" citation. I won't take my dog. As it just isn't worth getting a ticket.

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Log Book 2016

February: Started some slow trail rides.
March-April: Added trotting and started hillwork.
May: completed INDY, but had post ride complication from low calcium. Bloodwork followed and cleared to continue riding one week later. Her sodium level was borderline low, need to supplement?
June 3, 2016:Top of the Rock, did not start, gut sounds were a C evening before the ride, and degraded to C- the morning of, so I told them I wasn't starting. Once we got home she ate and drank, was fine. It is either the concentrated electrolyte setting her off, or she's stressing over the trailer ride. We have not had this kind of issue before. Will work at ways to correct this.
June 6, 2016 Fixed her a bucket with Max E Glo, oz of salt, and a cup of oats, half filled with water. She drained it.
June 7, 2016 We start training for a 50 as of today. My goal is to stretch out our trotting sessions and maintaining a 5 mph+ on conditioning rides. We will start short distance, tonight only 3.5 miles at a sustained trot, with a long hill on each lap we walk, jogged. Our speed average was 5.4 mph. Next time we will add about another half mile and try to maintain that speed. (Target goal is ten miles, at pace of 5.4-5.5 mph)using our little 3/4 mile loop for consistency to see if we are improving over time. Then we will move on to the next goal. She spun back this evening and unloaded me. I'm getting too old for this falling off crap.
June 10, 2016 No garmin today, I was actually out on a mission to find my lost sponge. It dropped off on a training ride a couple of weeks ago, so we just slipped over to the north side of the creek and attempted to somewhat retrace our route. Plodding along, being eaten by deer flies. Hot and humid today, Journey a little full of herself. Hoping to get my next trotting session in this weekend. Did not find the sponge. It likely fell off in the creek, if so...the creek flooded and it should be floating down the Ohio river about now. Keep an eye out, will ya?
June 11, 2016 another session of sustained trotting. One hour, 5.1 mph average. Extremely humid this morning.
June 13, 2016 We continue working on sustained trotting. We trot the flats and the uphills, we walk the downs. Tonight we did the south loop which if you go out and come back the same way is 4 1/2 miles. Historically I rarely get her to break over a 4 mph average due to mud and hills. She averaged 5.6 mph tonight and the trip took us about 45 minutes. It is single track trail, with a lot of hills and only a few flats, so for Journey this was a terrific improvement. She will get three days now to "just be a horse" and my hope is a long one this weekend, and every two weeks there after until we can compete again. June 19, short pleasure ride. June 20th back to the 4 1/2 mile loop. We did not make our time goal this afternoon. Journey got headstrong and wanted to gallop for home (unasked) so I had to shut her down, and enforced that she walk home. Extremely hot and humid today, though I was only out less than an hour it was almost too much for me. Journey was blowing still when we got home so she got the cold hose until she cooled off.

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HORSE ESTIMATED SPEED OF GAITS

-----------------------------------------Approximate Speeds of Gaits
Horse Walking: 3-4mph
Slow Trot: 4-5 mph
Medium Trot: 5-8 mph
Fast Trot: 6-11 mph
Canter: 8-15 mph
Hand Gallop: 12-25 mph
-----------------------------------------
Remember that LSD (long slow distance) training is usually done at a slow to medium trot. If you are tracking this with your Garmin, set your training assistant at 5 or 6 mph and it will sound an alarm when you drop below that speed. The actual speed of any gait will depend on the horse, the length of that horse's stride, impulsion, and how the individual horse moves. Most horses will fall somewhere within these averages.------------------------------------------------

PULSE, TEMPERATURE, RESPIRATION, CAPILLARY REFILL, & MUCOUS MEMBRANES

************************************************Learn and record your horse's baseline vital signs. Keep a record of your horse's pulse recovery ten minutes after ending a premeasured distance (such as a 1 mile hill), or a 5 mile trail that you will ride weekly. By keeping a record you will have a measure of your progress. Does your horse drop down to normal parameters within 10 minutes of stopping? By recording the air temperature, humidity, your speed & time, you will get a clear idea of your horse's improvement, or lack of it. ************************************************The Equine's..............................................Normal temperature: 99-101 degrees F for a mature horse. Danger zone is 102 or above.

Normal resting pulse rate: 40-50 beats per minute for a mature horse, 45-60 for yearlings, and 70-120 for foals.

Resting Respiration for a mature horse: 8-15 breaths per minute. In a working horse, breaths should never exceed the pulse rate. A panting horse is working harder than condition warrants, or may be in serious metabolic distress.

Capillary refill is how long it takes the blood supply to return the horse's upper gum tissue. You do this by pressing firmly for two seconds to cause a with blanched spot, remove your finger, and the gum should return to normal color within 2 seconds. A slower refill time may indicate the horse is having problems.

MucousMembranes: the gums of the horse should be moist and pink (lighter pink than human gums). Very pale, bright red, gray blue, or bright yellow gums may indicate serious problems requiring veterinary assistance.

May 23, 2010 Mixing up the gaits, terrain hilly with a few miles of flats. 20 miles distance, temperature 88 degrees, humidity high. Ate well at the halfway, cleaned up a gatorade wet mash, oats, had her electrolytes. Second half of ride tanked up on water three different times. Pulse down to criteria 55 bpm @ 10 minutes.

May 21, 2010 Hill intervals (1/4 mile x's 4) working pulse 170, still dropping in 10 seconds to aerobic phase. The rest was slow hill work, and a canter down the field. Distance 5 miles, short intense workout. Pulse down at home 56 bpm @10 minutes.

August 2, 2009 Hills, hills, more hills, hot and humid. 7 miles total.

August 1, 2009 Hills hills hills. Hot and Humid. Phebes was a turd. 7 miles total.

July 27th, 2009 We covered 10 miles, started out slow, then did intermittant walk/trots, climbed the BIG hill eight times. 86.3 °F and 47% humidity with zero wind.

July 21st, 2009 75.8 °F, 66% humidity, wind ZERO. We covered 7.6 miles in about 1 hour and 23 minutes. Slow by many standards, but at least we were managing a trot on the flats, and some of the uphills.

July 19, 2009 Went for a 1 hour pleasure ride, 4.6 miles. Short canter in the field coming home. Temps in the upper seventies.

July 18, 2009 Temps in the mid-seventies, low humidity, 15 miles in the Deam Wilderness. Rolling hills, technical trail. Pulse down to criteria 2 minutes.

July 13, 2009 Temps in the mid-80's, humid 8 miles of rolling hills. Pulse down to criteria took 5 minutes.

June 17, 2009 HOT, HUMID, MISERABLE weather, 5 miles of hoof sucking, MUD MUD MUD. Post ride soaked her down with tepid water, rubbed her down with a towel, then we tied up to the horse trailer for a front hoof trim (thank you ole great LSEGH).

June 15, 2009 hot and humid, 8.5 miles of deep hoof sucking mud, she was below criteria when I dismounted at 48 bpm.

June 13, 2009 Muddy, humid, hot. Covered 6.5 miles of hilly terrain testing out the heart monitor and readings at various gaits.

June 9, 2009 one hour of walk trot arena work.

June 7,2009 we did 6 miles of slow trail work, and some slow hill climbing. Temps in the mid seventies, dry, slightly humid, but not bad. Footing was mostly dry.

June 6, 2009 2 hours at the park, walking with some intermittent trotting, 8 miles with an average pace a little over 4 mph.

June 2, 2009 15 minute arena warm up and 1 hour of trail work.

June 1, 2009 I split her sessions today. This morning she had ground work, and trotting on and off line for 30 minutes with short walking intervals. This afternoon we did under saddle intervals. Phebes did great, but the heat is kind of getting to me.